Rehabilitation
by GrimHavoc
Summary: All Might wasn't the only pro hero at U.A. searching for a successor. Shuzenji Chiyo, otherwise known as Recovery Girl, wasn't getting any younger—and her position at U.A. called for someone extraordinary to succeed her. Enter Suzuki Akira, a medical prodigy on his own journey to atone for the past. Imagine his surprise when Recovery Girl approaches him with the offer of a lifetime
1. Chapter 1

"Shuzenji-san? Principal Nedzu can see you now," the new secretary said. Chiyo's joints twinged in protest as she got up from her chair with a grunt. She knocked gently on Nedzu's door.

"Come in!" Nedzu's chipper tone rang out. Chiyo opened the door, finding him having already set out two cups of tea and sitting comfortably on his well-worn green sofa. She sat across from him and graciously took the tea, which she sipped on and let out a pleased hum.

"Perfect every time, Principal," she said, smiling.

"I do pride myself on knowing my faculty quite well, Chiyo," Nedzu preened. He took a sip of his own cup. For a moment, they both relished in the silence. Nedzu spoke first. "So, what was it that you needed from me?"

"Can't two old friends simply enjoy each other's company?" Chiyo jested, but Nedzu only raised a furry eyebrow in return. She sighed, set her cup down, and took a moment to gather her thoughts.

"I'm getting old, Nedzu," she said, aimlessly gazing at the floor. "And with Toshinori looking for his own successor, it got me thinking. I was quite the arrogant young woman, back in the day, and never thought I had needed a sidekick." Chiyo sighed. "I regret that now. Not having someone to pass my knowledge down to."

"You wish to have an apprentice?" he said, to which she nodded. Nedzu hummed. "And how would you go about this?"

"I did some digging, called in some favours, and found an excellent candidate, he's in his last year of middle school, top of his class." she said.

"But…?" Nedzu asked.

She pursed her lips and pulled a manila file from her whitecoat, and set it down on the table. "It'd be easier if you just read his file."

Intrigued, Nedzu grabbed at the file and flipped it open. Within the first few moments of reading, his eyebrows had risen. "I expected controversy from Aizawa-kun, but from you? This is a surprise indeed."

Chiyo licked her lips. "I'm aware that it'd be an… unpopular choice within the heroic community," her eyes sparkled with determination. "But I know he has the potential to be truly great."

Nedzu made a waving gesture. "I believe you, Chiyo. Very well! I'll allow him to enroll should he accept your offer. We will be keeping a close eye on him."

She let out a sigh of relief and relaxed a little more. Finishing her cup of tea, she moved to stand. "I'll be taking my leave. Thank you very much, Principal."

Just as Chiyo was about to exit the door, Nedzu called out after her with a teasing lit to his tone. "I should hope he be worth all this trouble,"

Chiyo turned her head towards him and grinned. "I promise you after I'm through with him, he'll be spectacular."

Suzuki Akira honestly couldn't be bothered to listen to his teacher drone on about the history of the battles Japan had fought in the second world war. Instead, he was much more preoccupied sketching a detailed diagram of the digestive system on the back of his worksheet, deeming it a better use of his time.

The screech of the cheap intercom system made him raise his head in attention.

"Hello, Kobayashi-san? Is Suzuki Akira-kun in class? If so, may he come down to the main office?" the school's secretary asked.

As the teacher responded to the intercom, Akira was met with jeers from his classmates. He only rolled his eyes in response and moved up from his desk. He could still hear the muffled cacophony of his peers as Kobayashi-sensei attempted to calm them down.

Akira took his time getting to the office, parsing through the possible reasons he could've been called to the office. He hadn't gotten into any fights recently, nor had he skimped out on his schoolwork. He stumbled as a thought flashed through his mind. Could they have escaped ? He shook his head. Don't be ridiculous. They're behind bars now.

He entered the main office, nodded and politely smiled at the secretary, and knocked on the principal's door.

"C-come in, Akira-kun." Principal Tanaka's voice wobbled from inside the room. Akira's brows furrowed. What could have gotten him so nervous?

He entered the office hesitantly and was greeted with a peculiar sight. The principal - who usually was always calm and composed - was sweating through his dress shirt and wringing his hands. Beside him was a very short elderly woman, her greyed hair pulled back into a tight bun.

The elderly woman reached her hand forward to shake his. "You must be Suzuki-kun! A pleasure to meet you, young man."

Akira blinked and dubiously shook the woman's hand. "The pleasure is mine, Miss…?"

The woman's amicable expression turned sheepish. "How rude of me. I am Shuzenji Chiyo, however, you may call me Chiyo-san, dearie."

Akira nodded. Chiyo turned to Principal Tanaka. "May we have the room to ourselves, Tanaka-san?"

Principal Tanaka jumped as if startled, and quickly bowed. "Y-yes, Recovery Girl! Right away!" He then practically sprinted out the room, shutting the door behind him with a thud.

Akira jaw dropped. Had he heard that correctly? The Recovery Girl? The one who had frequently been on the front lines rescuing injured civilians during villain attacks? Akira didn't consider himself a hero aficionado, but even he was aware of a household name such as Recovery Girl. He began to sweat as well.

Chiyo sighed and gave Akira an exasperated smile. "No need to look so nervous, Suzuki-kun. Please, have a seat.". Still in a state of shock, Akira sat down on the stiff armchair. Chiyo also sat in an armchair right beside him, although her legs didn't quite reach the ground, leaving them dangling.

That's adorable, Akira thought and immediately cringed at thinking of Japan's premier medical hero as adorable. He blushed as he realized that Chiyo was looking at him with an amused smile on her face.

Chiyo cleared her throat. "What schools are you thinking of applying to, dearie?"

Akira's brows twitched. He definitely wasn't expecting mundane small talk. "I was thinking of applying to schools with a strong medical program. It makes the most sense with my quirk." he shrugged.

Interest flashed in Chiyo's eyes. "Oh? I hear U.A. has quite the foundation in that field."

He grimaced. "I don't think I'd be very welcomed by the hero community, Chiyo-san."

She snorted. "If you are talking about your family background, Suzuki-kun, then I assure you that it does not matter to me."

Akira's face whipped towards her in shock. Chiyo raised an eyebrow. "What? You didn't think I would know that you were raised by villains?"

"I thought my file was sealed?" He sagged into the armchair like a deflating balloon.

Her mouth quirked into a smile. "Pro heroes tend to hoard favours like children do sweets."

Akira's lip twitched upwards to the jest, but the amusement quickly faded away. He sighed and said, "With all due respect, Recovery Girl, why are you here?"

She clucked at him. "I told you to call me Chiyo-san, didn't I?" She then shifted, and her expression more serious. "I am here because I wish for an apprentice, and you are currently the top candidate."

Akira let out a bark of laughter, tinged with bitterness rather than humor. "Me? You want me to become your apprentice and what? Become a hero?" His nostrils flared. "How could someone like me become a hero? I'm the reason they—!" He shut his mouth and grit his teeth.

Glancing at Chiyo, he found the very last thing he wanted: unadulterated pity. "Do you wish to help people, Suzuki-kun?" she asked. Akira gave a jerky nod in response. "You could become a doctor, which is, of course, a noble profession, but I truly believe your quirk would be a boon to the heroic community."

Chiyo hopped off the chair, dug around her purse to produce a business card, and placed it on his lap. "Think about it, and when you've made your decision, you know how to contact me." She gave him a pat on the knee and left the room.

Akira had stayed seated long after she left, stewing in his thoughts, and staring at the card in front of him. He grabbed it and roughly shoved it into one his jacket pockets. He slipped on his backpack and left the room, finding Principal Tanaka hunched over and pacing. He jolted as he noticed Akira leaving.

"S-Suzuki-kun! Tell me, what did Recovery Girl want? Does she want to make a generous donation? Offer you a scholarship? What about—" as Tanaka continued to ramble, Akira made a speedy exit out the office.

He snuck past the front gates on his way out. If he was indifferent about class before, now he was completely apathetic. There were much more important things on his mind.

In the middle of his trek back to his dingy, government-paid apartment, he stumbled on the aftermath of a villain battle. Akira vaguely recalled the details he read on his lunch break. The villain was a robber who had used his gigantification quirk after getting caught robbing a woman's purse. The reason why it had got so much attention was that Mt. Lady had made her debut, snatching Kamui Woods' arrest right out of his hands, or rather, his branches.

The fallen debris from such a confrontation was not pretty. Plenty of roads were destroyed, and there was heavy damage to the surrounding buildings. There were a few stray reporters, snapping pictures and recording footage to be aired. Police were firmly guiding civilians out of the area.

The injured were all gathered in one area, and being taken to the hospital when there were ambulances available. The high-priority injuries had seemingly already been transported, and now there were only a handful of people waiting to be taken.

One of those people was a young boy—who couldn't be older than five or six, clutching his forearm in agony, and wailing loud enough for Akira to hear him from the opposite end of the street. Akira saw that there were firefighters and paramedics nearby, but it seemed they were far too busy.

Pity bloomed within his chest. No child should cry alone. Before he even consciously realized it, he was crossing the street and making his way over.

"Hey, kid. Are you okay?" he asked. Now that he was closer, he could see the arm in greater detail. The forearm was heavily swollen and there was a large bump near the elbow— he knew it was likely the radius that was broken.

The boy sniffled and shook his head. "No! My arm really hurts…"

Akira made a sympathetic sound. "I'm sure it does, buddy. I'm Akira. What's your name?"

The boy's lip wobbled. "K-Katsuro." he said.

Akira tried to channel as much reassurance into his smile as he could. "Well Katsuro-chan, I'm sure the paramedics will get to you soon."

There was a cracking sound, and then the screech of metal and rubble. Akira and Katsuro jumped in surprise. Immediately, Katsuro let out a pained shriek, clutching at his arm even more fervently.

Akira took a quick glance at the source of the noise, which was the unstable remains of a small building. There were plenty of adults heading over there to deal with it. Right now his concern was with the distressed child in front of him.

"Katsuro-chan, I know it hurts, but please let me see." After some cajoling, Katsuro whimpered and hesitantly showed his arm. Akira hissed at the sight. The arm had turned even more agitated and red, no doubt exacerbating Katsuro's already high levels of pain.

Akira bit his lip, considering what he could do. He could use his quirk, but the police presence would make that so risky. He chanced a glance and saw that hardly any attention was being paid to them.

"I think I can help you, buddy. But you've gotta be quiet about it, okay?" he said.

Katsuro looked hopeful. "H-How?"

Akira held up his hand to show him. "I have a healing quirk—I can't repair the bone without setting it, but I can lessen the pain for you."

Katsuro nodded eagerly. Akira took a deep breath and rested his hand near Katsuro's arm, getting to work. Right as he used his quirk, he was hit with the feedback. There wasn't any visual component, per se, but more of an intuitive feeling of what was wrong.

Burrowing his brows in concentration, he narrowed his focus to the injury site. It was indeed the radius that was broken. Unfortunately, he couldn't heal the break without setting the arm, which wasn't feasible in the current environment. Luckily, it was a very clean break that'd heal nicely. Can't do much about it now.

He moved on to the surrounding tissue and focused on reducing pain. He willed capillaries to clear any unnecessary blood and fluid that exacerbated the swelling. Now the hard part -honing in even further, attempting to neutralize pain chemicals that made the area overly-sensitive.

As he used his quirk, his body tingled, mainly around the abdominal area. When he'd finally finished, he felt significantly lighter and thinner. There goes today's lunch , he grimaced.

Akira looked at Katsuro's face again, to find it looked significantly less pinched with pain. "Better?"

Katsuro nodded vigorously. "Yeah! It still hurts a lot, but not as bad! Thank you, Akira-san!"

Akira flashed him a tired smile. "It was my pleasure, buddy. Just remember, you can't tell anyone I healed you alright? I could get in trouble for it."

Katsuro's grin spanned from cheek to cheek. "I won't tell! Pinky promise!" He extended his pinky finger towards Akira. In kind, Akira wrapped his pinky around Katsuro's to 'seal the deal'.

"I gotta head home now, bud. Don't give the nurses too much trouble, you got it?" he said fondly, ruffling Katsuro's hair. As he was walking away, Katsuro waved him goodbye with gusto (with his good arm) and he returned the gesture.

On his way, Akira felt something stir within him. It was a feeling he couldn't place. He felt like every fiber of his being was vibrating with anticipation. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins. His hands trembled and his eyes were wide. Is this what it feels like? Being… a hero?

Finally, at his dingy apartment with his heart still racing, he discarded his backpack and jacket, and collapsed on a couch he had gotten for dirt cheap, mostly because it had a myriad of holes in it. He flipped open a trashy romance novel in an attempt to shake off today's excitement but threw it away in a huff after not being able to focus on the words.

He glanced at the tiny wall clock, deciding it was late enough to justify going to bed. Getting out of his day clothes, he slipped on some plain pajama pants and a white undershirt. The bed frame squeaked and groaned as he laid on the mattress. He closed his eyes and waited for the welcoming embrace of sleep.

Damn it.

No matter what, he was still buzzing with energy. The feeling from earlier, it wouldn't go away. And the scary thing was, he wasn't certain that it was entirely all that bad. He had enjoyed helping someone, even if it was just as simple as taking away their pain. He truly had never considered heroics before, believing it not to be for someone of his background.

But…

He looked at his jacket still hanging limply on the rack, more specifically the pocket. He bit his lip. Could he do this? Step so far out his comfort zone that he may be unable to turn back? Then he thought of Katsuro's smile, of his relief, and of his gratitude.

The next thing Akira knew, he was dialing Chiyo-san's number into his flip phone.

"Hello, Chiyo-san? This is Suzuki Akira calling. Yes, I know it's late. No, I did not know the elderly needed their beauty sleep," Akira shifted the phone to get it in a comfortable position and took a deep breath.

"I think I'd like to take you up on your offer."


	2. Chapter 2

_I take it back._ Akira ducked under a speeding tennis ball. _Chiyo-sensei isn't adorable, she's a goddamn demon._ He yelped as one of them hit his shoulder as he got up.

"Get moving, dearie! We've still got daylight to burn!" Chiyo grinned from behind the ball machine.

"Why are we—" Akira let out a small shriek as he dodged another ball. "—doing this again?!"

"As a pro hero, you must be able to think rationally under immense pressure! It also serves as agility training! Two birds with one stone!" Chiyo looked quite pleased with herself. "Speaking of rational thinking…"

"You come across an injured person, what do you do?" she demanded.

Akira hastily replied, "Check my surroundings, then check the patient's airway, breathing, and circulation!"

"Correct! You've just removed a piece of shrapnel from your patient, how do you proceed?"

"Stop the bleeding and—"

"Trick question! _Never_ remove a foreign body from your patient without a surgical team standing by!" With that, she turned a dial on the machine, which began to hum louder. The tennis balls started coming out with a higher speed and frequency.

Akira shrieked as he threw himself to the ground in order to avoid yet another tennis ball, whizzing by his ear. He scrambled to get up and tried to move his aching body in a feeble attempt to evade.

Chiyo cackled. "Dodge, my cute little apprentice! Dodge!"

* * *

Akira adjusted his scarf before he got off the train and shivered as he stepped on to the platform. Winter was by far his least favorite of seasons. He climbed down the stairs and followed the directions Chiyo-sensei had texted him.

It was a medium-sized dojo. Not decrepit, but not brand new either. The wood was worn and scuffed with age. Akira cautiously knocked on the door. Heavy steps creaked the wood from the other side of the door, which slid open a moment later. Akira was met with a very tall, very muscular man wearing a mask. If that didn't make him stand out, his spiked grey hair and massive steel bracers finished the job.

"Ah! You must be Suzuki-kun! Come in, come in." He practically dragged Akira into the building. Akira spotted Chiyo, who raised a hand in greeting.

"Akira-kun! Glad you could make it. I have someone to introduce you to." She gestured to the tall man, who was resting one hand on his hip and waved with the other, to which Akira blushed slightly. "This is the Battle Hero, Gunhead."

"Recovery Girl has told me quite a lot about you. I'll be teaching you some self-defence." Gunhead pumps his heavily muscled arm. "This is going to be great!"

Akira raises an eyebrow to Chiyo. "How'd you manage to land him?"

She smiled mischievously. "I _do_ recall mentioning that heroes hoard favours, did I not?"

Akira shrugged and moved over to join Gunhead. After doing some warm-up stretches, Gunhead informs him that he'll be instilling some foundations rather than going in-depth. First up was Akira's fighting stance. He was instructed to lean forward slightly, and keep the knees bent. This was to ensure a low and stable centre of gravity. Arms are to be kept up at all times, and ideally positioned to protect his head.

A couple hours passed before Akira asked, "While these defensive moves are great, what if I have to attack someone?"

Chiyo, who had been contently reading magazines, interjected. "If you've any ideas about going on the offense, get them out of your head now," she snorts. "As a medic, your duty is to be the _last_ person on your team to go down. Even then, you should ideally be staying out of fights. This training is merely a precaution."

Everything clicked together, and Akira jumped at the realization. "So the agility training…?"

Chiyo smiled and tilted her head. "Avoiding hits is your top priority in a combat situation—well that, and running to a more qualified fighter."

With a tangible objective in mind, Akira steeled himself, renewing his training with more vigour. And if anyone ever accused him of sneaking peeks at Gunhead's abs, he'd accuse them of lies and slander.

February rolled around much more quickly than Akira could have anticipated. It felt like eons ago when Chiyo had called him to that office. But somehow, it had only been nine months. The days had blurred together with endless amounts of studying and training. But finally, judgement day had arrived, as Akira took his first steps on to U.A.

He adjusted his heavy wool coat, and it was still cold enough for his breathes to come out in puffs. He tilted his head upwards, staring at looming buildings ahead. There were a myriad of other students, all heading the same way. Some were dressed similarly to him in winter wear, while some wore their middle school uniform.

His sneakers tapped along the brick pavement as he approached the entrance. In his peripheral vision he saw a floating boy accompanied by a brown-haired girl. A peculiar sight, but not completely out of place given that this was a school for heroes-in-training.

As he made it inside the building, he was greeted with the sight of a ghoulish-looking man, who wore a tan trench coat. _Ectoplasm_ , he recognized. Chiyo-sensei liked to talk about her co-workers. Akira bet he was the only teen in Japan that knew Ectoplasm _loves_ karaoke.

Ectoplasm handed Akira a card, reading _Examinee 7112_.

"This is your number, please don't lose it. Find your corresponding seat once you're in the examination room." Ectoplasm said. Akira nodded and found his way down the halls towards the exam room. Luckily, there were quite a few signs and posters put up pointing towards it.

The exam room was quite large. It caved in downwards, identical to lecture halls found in universities. Rows upon rows of desks filled the room. Some people had managed to find their seat, but most were in a similar predicament to Akira and were overwhelmed. Eventually, he figured out where he was supposed to sit—with some trial and error.

He already had a seatmate. A formal looking boy sat in seat 7111 with his back ramrod straight and a stern expression in his eyes. _I've seen statues with laxer posture_ , Akira mused. He took his seat and smiled politely at the boy, who nodded in return.

There was still a bit of time until the written exam started. _When in doubt, small talk._ He turned towards the boy. "Nervous?"

He shook his head. "Of course not! I have been studying for the written portion for months, in addition to rigorous training for the practical exam!" he said making a chopping gesture into his open palm.

Akira snorts ruefully. "That makes one of us, I guess. I'm mostly worried about the practical."

The boy nods understandingly. "I can see how that may be nerve wracking, yes. I am Iida Tenya, are you applying for Heroics as well?"

Akira nods. "Suzuki Akira. Indeed I am."

Iida grinned widely. "Perhaps we may share the same class together."

Akira returns the gesture. "Who knows? Anyways, good luck to you, Iida-san."

"And to you as well, Suzuki-san."

The exam began. Papers were handed out and pencils scribbled at lightning fast speeds. Akira was certain that he got the science portion in the bag. History and mathematics… not so much.

When all the exams were collected, Present Mic sauntered up on stage and grabbed the microphone.

"Welcome to today's live performance!" his voice boomed across the entire hall, causing most—including Akira—to cringe at the sheer volume. Present Mic held out his ear, as if waiting for a resounding cheer from the audience.

Silence.

Tenacious as he is, he simply trots on. "Well, that's cool, my examinee listeners!" He holds his hand up high in the air. "I'm here to explain the guidelines of your practical! Ready?! YEEEEAAAAH!"

Somebody coughed in the distance, but that was about a DJ, one would think Mic could read a room. Thankfully, he cut down on the theatrics, and began to properly explain the rules of the practical, explaining how they were separated into seven groups and sent to sites filled with three types of robot villains. Just as he finished explain the objective to earn points, Iida's arm shot up like a bullet.

"May I ask a question?!" He stood up and pointed to the paper. "There appears to be no fewer than _four_ varieties of faux villains on this handout! Such a blatant error, if it is one, is highly unbecoming for U.A., Japan's top academy!"

Akira stared, mystified at how someone his age could be so high-strung. In a surprise and shock to most, Iida turned around and pointed to the curly-haired boy Akira had seen floating earlier. "You've been muttering the entire time… it's distracting!" He glared. "If this is some sort of game to you, please leave immediately!"

Akira winced. While he could admit the muttering was distracting, the poor boy look absolutely _mortified_ at being called out on it.

Present Mic thankfully deescalates the situation. "Good catch, examinee 7111!" he then explains that the fourth faux villain is meant as an environmental hazard, not meant to be fought. After everything was said and done, they were directed to buses that were taking them to the practical exam site.

They had let everyone change into athletic wear beforehand. Most people were wearing gym clothes, but some had accessories that appeared to help with their quirks. After everyone was off the bus, they were all far to busy gawking at the site in front of them.

It was absolutely gargantuan. Practically a neighbourhood all on its own. Meanwhile, Akira was silently stewing in self-doubt. How was he supposed to take down robots with a quirk useless against anything nonliving and a couple months of self-defence against _human_ opponents?

Akira was, for all intents and purposes, screwed.

A couple meters ahead, Akira saw Iida walk up the same curly haired boy from before and grabbed him by the shoulder. He just barely manages to overhear Iida who asked him why he was here, and if he was hoping to interfere. If the poor boy was mortified before, now he looks as if his soul had ejected straight out his body.

Snickers and hushed whispers erupted amongst the students, and who gathered around in a semicircle to observe. Akira was appalled to hear things such as insults, jeers, and outright dismissals all about the boy. _This is the future generation of heroes?_

 _Disappointing_. Akira didn't know what he was expecting. These were middle schoolers after all, sheltered, spoiled brats who were endlessly praised and fawned over about their quirks. The boy was practically emanating dejection, with the hunched shoulders and that face. It was like watching a kicked puppy. He was prepared to step in, and tell off Iida and the rest, when Present Mic's voice popped up.

"Begin!" he said.

 _Eh?_ was the collective thought of everyone at the exam site.

"The test has started, examinees! Run, run, run!"

The bubble of amusement had violently popped, and panic seeped in like a tsunami. There was a mad scramble to the gates, people elbowing each other for just the slightest head start.

It was overwhelming, chaotic, and pandemonium at it's finest. Everyone was busy fighting their own robot, and Akira was already behind the rest. He tried searching for an unoccupied target, and spotted a 1-Pointer separate from the 'herd'.

Akira ran towards it, heart pounding, and doing his best to remember his training. Gunhead's words flashed through his head. _Everybody has a weakness. Find it, and take advantage._

Akira's eyes raked over the robot, who had just detected him and start to speed towards him. His heart leapt to his throat and he just barely jumped out of the way.

While its back was turned, Akira took the opportunity to look at some of the wiring that was exposed on its back. _There_.

Akira started a sprint towards the robot, but it belied its size, it turned around rather quickly. The 'eye' flashed red, and the gatling gun on its arm was pointed at him. _Ah, shit_.

Akira practically threw himself to the side and behind some debris. Not even seconds after, the sound of bullets filled the air and he felt the vibrations. _What kind of school shoots at their potential students?!_ He saw the bullets riddling the ground. _Well, rubber bullets, but still!_

The motor of the gatling gun gradually slowed down to stop. Akira risked a peek and saw that it was either out of bullets or reloading. Either way, it was his chance.

He bolted and ran towards the robot. As he got within range, it swung it's massive arm. His run turns into a slide on the ground, the pinpricks of pain on his legs from the rubble undoubtedly leaving a few scrapes.

Akira managed to find a foothold on the robot's plating and jumped, straddling the robot. He tried to determine what wire would turn the robot off, but time was of the essence. Akira grabs and rips _all_ of the wires. The robot goes wild, with jerky and sharp movements. Sparks went off, and robot goes full speed ahead with Akira still on it. They were approaching a wall.

 _This is gonna—_ Akira saw stars as the 1-Pointed collided into the wall with the grace of an angry bull. His head wouldn't stop spinning and he ached _everywhere_. It was slightly worse at the forearm. He made an attempt to regain his wits, and pried open his eyes.

He was on the ground. Fumbling around, he managed to find some rubble to hold on to, and slowly got up. The pain from his forearm turned out to be a gash. Nothing major, a flesh wound at most. It still hurt like a motherfucker, though.

Akira observed his surroundings,checking for any stray 1-Pointers. When there were none in sight, he diverted his focus towards the gash. He willed capillaries to repair, and tissue to grow. He built the skin back up layer by layer, carefully stacking keratinocytes and other granules. When he finally finished, the new skin was pink and raw. He was starting to get a bit hungry, but his body's lipid content was still at a healthy level.

Akira's ears were assaulted with a cacophony of noises. All he could hear was the thuds of falling debris and the groan of metal. The source? A colossal robot who dwarfed the surrounding buildings. Every student had stopped fighting and were staring at the 0-pointer, who was heading straight towards them.

 _Nope. Not dealing with that, no siree_. Akira turned and hightailed it away from the 0-Pointer along with every other student. He passed the curly-haired boy, who was on the ground trembling. He didn't look like he was gonna get up anytime soon. Damn it.

Akira pivoted, turned back, and roughly grabbed the boy by his clothes. "C'mon! We've gotta go!" he said. They had taken a couple of strides before a loud groan hit their ears. They froze and whipped around to face the brown-haired girl that Akira had seen at the entrance. She was prone on the ground, her leg stuck under a piece of fallen building. _Shit._

Curly stepped forward towards the 0-Pointer, trembling but a determined look in his eye that Akira had never seen before. Another step forward, and another, and another, until he flexed his legs and _flew_. Akira's jaw dropped as the boy with the disposition of a terrified chihuahua soared through the air and punched the 0-Pointer, the robot's face caving in, completely destroyed. _It's always the quiet ones to watch out for…_ Akira mused.

The shocking moment quickly faded, as gravity took affect and started to draw Curly in towards the ground.

"Help me get this rubble off!Please!" the brown-haired girl said. Akira sprinted over and helped her lift the detritus trapping her leg. As soon as she was free, she got on top of a missile launcher from a 3-Pointer and touched it. Amazingly, it began to float and her along with it. As soon as Curly got within her reach, she _slapped him_ , of all things. His descent halted, with him hovering a few feet from the ground. The girl exhaustedly brought her fingertips together, and they both fell to the ground.

Akira came beside Curly, who looked like his limbs went a couple rounds with a meat grinder. His face was drenched with tears and snot, and was scrunched up in pain.

"Is—Is she alright?" he bit out through his sobs. Akira rolled up his sleeves and brought his hands to Curly's body. "Just needed…one more point!"

"She's fine, you're the one whose limbs turned into paste. An exam is not worth an amputation." Akira hissed. As soon as he touched Curly, the feedback made Akira recoil. The damage was…extensive, to say the least. The _entire_ arm was bruised. His knuckles were freely torn and bleeding. He couldn't even begin to count the fractures, they were absolutely _everywhere_.

Akira didn't know how much time had passed. He saw the girl lose her lunch in his peripheral vision, and vaguely heard that the exam was over. Curly had long since passed out, unsurprising considering the nature of his limbs. He had just barely finished healing the humerus, when a small hand rested on his shoulder.

"That's enough, dearie. You're starting to look like a friend of mine." Chiyo said, smile on her face. She tsks at Curly's state.

"Chiyo-sensei?" Akira blearily looked at his teacher. He didn't know which friend she was talking about, but he understood the message. His clothes didn't quite fit right anymore. While never being overweight was a nice benefit of his quirk, constant emaciation was unpleasant to say the least.

"Best to let me handle him. You know better than to overuse your quirk." she said. She have the brown-haired girl a glance. "If you're adamant on helping out, check up on her." While Chiyo got to work healing Curly with a smooch, Akira hobbled over to the girl, who still looked nauseous.

"Hey, you okay?" Akira asks her. She looks up, surprised, but gives a shaky smile in the end.

"Yeah! Just nauseous. My leg is really sore but other than that, I'm fine. How is he?" she nods towards Curly.

"He's in good hands with Chiyo-sensei." She gave him a curious look at referring to Recovery Girl so familiarly. "I could take care of your leg, If you'd like."

Putting aside her curiosity, she nodded. Akira rested his hand on top of her leg, and began healing burst blood vessels and damaged muscle fibers. Little by little, the mottled bruises began to fade away.

She looked in awe. "Is this your quirk?" she gasped.

Akira smiled in amusement. "Yep. Tissue Modeling lets me control my own and other's bodily processes, including healing," His smile became strained, the day's efforts taking a toll.

She made an impressed sound. "That's so cool! You've got a really versatile quirk!"

Akira blushes and clears his throat. "Thank you. Yours looks useful as well. A gravity quirk?"

She beams "That's right!"

Akira finishes with her leg. By the end, he's looking fairly gaunt and frail. "All done."

She dips into a bow. "Thank you! I never caught your name by the way, I'm Uraraka Ochako!"

 _Even after an intense physical exam, this girl still has energy left_. Akira flashed a tired smile. "Suzuki Akira, nice to meet you, Uraraka-san."

They saw Curly being hauled off by some U.A. staff in a stretcher. Uraraka looked determined. "I'm gonna find Present Mic! It's not fair that he saved me and ended up getting no points."

All Akira was thinking of was his bed. "Good luck with that Uraraka-san."

The remaining stuff escorted the students back onto the bus, and back to the school. Akira was sorely tempted to call a taxi, the idea of waiting for the train an unappealing one. Unfortunately, taxi's happen to clash with his budget.

After a long trip home, he stumbled into his apartment, stripped off his sweat laden clothes, and collapsed into bed. The embrace of unconsciousness was a welcome one.

It's been a week, and Akira was stewing in anxiety. There had been no letter so far, and absolutely no word from Chiyo-sensei. She hadn't answered any of his calls nor his texts. It was frustrating to say the least.

He hadn't done anything productive, too nervous to leave the house and miss the letter that decided his fate. He had checked his mailbox each morning with nothing to be found.

He had actually gotten dressed, ready to go out for a jog to exercise his worries away, when he found the mailman in his lobby. He froze, and stared intently at the mailman, eagerly looking for any letters addressed from U.A.

The mailman looked visibly unsettled at being watched by a teenager, but he continued his job. The second the mailman had placed a letter in Akira's mailbox, the boy had bolted towards it and grabbed the letter. He took the stairs back up to his apartment, taking two steps at a time, with thoughts of jogging long gone.

He fumbled with his keys, and took a minute to insert the key with shaky hands. He finally got in and pushed the door shut behind him with his foot. Forgoing a letter opener, he used a fingernail to open the letter.

Inside was a dish-shaped metal object along with a sheet of paper. He pulled it out and fiddled with it, curious as to its purpose. When it turned on with a burst of light, he yelped and dropped it, landing on the floor.

A hologram of all things appeared in front of him. It was Chiyo-sensei in her hero outfit, needle cane and all. She smiled matronly to the camera.

"Hello, Akira-kun! I don't usually do these things, ya know, but I've made a super special exception for my cute little apprentice!" she cooed. Akira rolled his eyes, but let out a smile anyways.

"Now, I'm sure you'd like to hear about your results, yes?" Even though he knew it was a recording, Akira nodded. "I'm happy to tell you that you did quite well on the written exam! You breezed through the science portion—as a result of my training, of course," she bragged. Her pride took a turn. "Your history and English left something to be desired, expect that to be the subject of our next lesson," she grumbled. Akira felt dread at the upcoming training and elation at the fact that there _was_ upcoming training, meaning she hadn't given up on him.

She tapped her cane. "Now on to your practical exam results," she said. Akira cringed. "You scored a grand total of one villain point, one of the lowest of the examinees."

He bit his lip, the shame and embarrassment threatening to drown him. He could already hear what was coming next. _You weren't good enough. U.A. only accepts the best. Someone like you isn't good enough—_

"However," Chiyo-sensei interrupts his wallowing. He looked up. "Villain points weren't the only things we were looking for. As judges, we also awarded rescue points for heroic deeds, and when you came to the aid of your fellow examinees, you scored a fair few. Forty, to be exact."

Akira grabbed the paper inside the envelope with an unsteady hand. As he read the first line, his vision went blurry, and he clutched the paper to his chest. The sheer relief flowing through him dropped him to his knees. Chiyo-sensei continued.

"Congratulations, my cute little apprentice, U.A. accepts you with open arms. It is time to begin… your hero academia!"


	3. Chapter 3

Akira had very little trouble entering U.A. He swiped his ID card at the gate and began to find his way to class. Spring arrived and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. It was by far his favourite sight.

 _1-A…where the hell is it? This place is too goddamn big._ He wandered around the massive buildings, scratching his head. He was in a hurry and hadn't paid enough attention to his surroundings, so when he turned a corner and subsequently slammed into the person ahead, Akira got knocked back on his ass.

"Oh my gosh! A-Are you okay?!"

Akira looked up to find a familiar face. The green-haired boy from the practicals was currently fretting over him. "Heya, Curly. Nice to see you with your limbs intact," Akira said.

Curly jumped and grabbed at his hair self-consciously. "C-Curly?!" His eyes widened as he took a proper look at Akira. "I-It's you! I-I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you! S-Should I look for the nurse—"

Akira raised a reassuring smile. "Calm down, dude. I'm fine." Akira proved so by getting up without a hitch. "Besides, the nurse would probably laugh at me anyways," he said under his breath.

Curly bowed. "I never got to thank you! F-For healing me, I mean! I'm Midoriya Izuku!" he fumbled.

Akira waved him off. "Suzuki Akira. I ought to be thanking you, actually. Patching you up was the reason I got enough points to pass. Congrats on 7th place, by the way."

Midoriya turned red and looked down. "I-I just barely got by…"

Akira snorted. "If taking down a giant robot was 'barely getting by', I'm afraid to see you actually try." Midoriya somehow became even redder. "Where're you headed?"

"C-Class 1-A, y-you?"

Akira nodded. "Same here, looks like we're classmates."

They stood awkwardly, both waiting for the other to say something. Eventually, Midoriya worked up the courage to say, "Suzuki-san, since we're heading the same way…" He bit his lip. "Would you like to walk to class? T-Together?"

Akira blinked. Nobody had ever asked him that. "Uh, yeah, sure. Lead the way."

Midoriya was vibrating, but with nervousness or excitement, Akira couldn't tell. He'd be willing to bet it was both though, judging by the wobbly smile.

They had found the classroom, with some trial and error. The door was huge, easily three times their height and width. It made sense though, they needed to accommodate for a variety of quirks, particularly mutation-types.

"After you." He gestured to Midoriya, who with a shaky hand pulled open the door.

They were greeted with the sight of Iida scolding an ash-blond boy with his feet up on his desk.

"Remove your feet from that desk! Such an action is an insult to those who came to U.A. before us as well as the craftsman who made the desk!" Iida chided.

The blond sneered. "Like I care. What middle school are you from, you extra?" Akira's brow twitched. Good god, the arrogance was astounding.

Iida looked unnerved. "I-I'm from Somei Private Academy. My name is Iida Tenya."

"A stuck up elitist, then? I should blow you to bits." the blond said derisively.

Akira chose that moment to intervene. "Threats on the first day? You _are_ aware that this is a hero school, right?"

The blond growled and stood up from his desk. "What was that, you shitstain?"

Akira stared back impassively. "You heard me."

The blond advanced forward, palms sparkling, but a guy with red hair intercepted him and convinced him that a fight on the first day wouldn't be worth it. The blond sniffed indignantly and went back to his seat, seething all the way.

It was now Iida who began his approach towards them. Midoriya looked infinitely more nervous, and Akira stepped in front of him, shielding him from Iida's view.

"Iida-san," Akira said cooly. "Can Midoriya-san and I help you?"

Iida's head was bowed down. "Midoriya-san, Suzuki-san, you two perceived the true nature of the practical while I did not." He looked to Izuku and made a chopping motion with both hands. "I misjudged you, Midoriya-san! I hate to admit it, but you were the superior candidate!"

While Midoriya was frantically assuring Iida that nothing was perceived, a familiar voice rang out behind them.

"Ah! That curly hair!" Uraraka's head poked out through the doorway. "And Suzuki-kun! Hey!"

Uraraka's cheer was infectious. Akira smiled back at her. "Heya, Uraraka-san. Nice to see you again."

She turned to Midoriya and eagerly chatting with him, all while he turned a brilliant shade of red.

Akira turned to Iida. "So, what's up?"

Iida's face was scrunched up in shame. "I also feel the obligation to apologize to you, Suzuki-san. My behavior during the practical was quite unsportsmanlike and completely unbefitting for a student of U.A.!"

Akira shrugged. "Yeah, it was pretty mean. No worries though, it's all good." He added a smile at the end.

Iida breathed a sigh of relief. "I am very glad to hear that! I am also pleased to see that we are classmates. What is your quirk, if I may ask?"

Akira opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a voice reminiscent of gravel. "If you're here to socialize, then get out."

The entire class whipped around to see a…man? He was lying on the ground with what appeared to be a sleeping bag wrapped around him. "This is the hero course." He wriggled around until he stood upright and unzipped. "It took you eight seconds to quiet down. Time is a precious resource. You lot aren't very rational, are you?" he drawled.

The man sighed. "I'm your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta, pleased to meet you." He sounded as if he were reading from a script. "Quickly now, change into your gym clothes and head out to the grounds."

Akira was stunned. This haggard-looking hobo was their homeroom teacher?

After being pointed towards the change rooms, there was a mad scramble to get there. Akira pointedly tried very _very_ hard not to look at his changing classmates. He just couldn't help but notice that Midoriya was surprisingly ripped and _oh my, Iida has very broad shoulders—_

Akira left the change room, flushed. Midoriya looked at him with concern. "S-Suzuki-san? Are you feeling okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Akira squeaked out.

* * *

At the grounds, which were equally as massive as the rest of the school, Aizawa announced a quirk test.

Confused, Uraraka asked about the entrance ceremony or guidance sessions, or in this case, lack thereof, to which Aizawa responded that they were a waste of time and unnecessary. Akira spotted Iida looking uncomfortable at the blatant disruption of the status quo.

Aizawa elaborated on how Japan doesn't allow quirks to be used in gym tests. Akira remembered those tests well. He was pretty awful at them, considering he had never cared about his physicality before meeting Chiyo-sensei.

"Bakugou," Aizawa called the ash-blond from before. "How far could you throw in middle school?"

"67 metres," Bakugou said curtly. _Jeez, I had less than half that score last year._ Akira cringed.

As Bakugou stood in the circle, Aizawa said, "Great. Now try it with your quirk. Do whatever you need to, just don't leave the circle."

Bakugou stretched out his throwing arm as everyone watched closely. He wound up and his palm exploded in a blazing fury. "DIE!" The ball whizzed far up in the air. Gusts of wind swept across the field.

A device Aizawa was holding beeped. "It's important to know our limits." He revealed it to show an astounding 705.2 metre distance. "That's the first rational step to figuring out what kind of heroes you'll be."

Chatter erupted right after Aizawa finished. Everyone was excited to use their quirk during the test. Akira was stressing out. He was starting to think he may be a _tad_ out of his depth.

"This is gonna be so awesome!" one of his classmates squealed.

Aizawa interjected with a dark chuckle. "Awesome, you say?" His presence practically loomed over the class. "You guys think this is all fun and games? You should know that the one with the lowest overall score will be expelled."

Gasps sprung amongst the class and Akira inhaled sharply as adrenaline began to pump through him.

"But sensei! That's completely unfair! It's just our first day!" Uraraka cried out.

Aizawa huffed. "Unfair? Life is unfair. We as heroes are the ones to correct that unfairness. If you're planning on spending your evenings hanging around, U.A. will put you through the wringer," he said, blunt as steel.

There was a collective gulp amongst the class.

In the 50-metre dash, Akira performed decently at 6.62 seconds. During the grip strength test, Akira scored one of the lowest amongst his class, a measly 32.8 kilograms. He looked to his right and the guy beside him—Shoji-san, he believed—scoring _540 kilograms._ He could feel the inadequacy and self-doubt mounting.

His score in the standing long jump was nothing to write home about: 2.4 metres. During the side-step test, Akira's mind was racing. The main hurdle to scoring well was exhaustion slowing someone down. _So let's get rid of exhaustion._ Akira grinned.

 _Oxygen is used to breakdown lactic acid in the muscles, so let's get more of that._ Akira focused his quirk around his lungs, willing them to be more efficient and absorb as much oxygen as possible; expanding his alveoli to their upper limits to exchange gas rapidly. It was an intensive process—he could already feel the fat breaking down to provide the energy necessary.

A high-pitched beep alerted him that he was done. He glanced at the score and sighed in relief. 64 steps per minute was a phenomenal score. Hopefully enough to keep him from landing in the bottom.

His concept of a good score, however, was crushed by Uraraka who scored _infinity_ on the throwing test. Akira unfortunately saw no feasible way to use his quirk to better his score. He supposed he _could_ build muscle fibers in his throwing arm, but he'd be more likely to build a tumor rather than proper muscle. In addition, it would take far too long to build fibers for his entire arm.

He threw the ball with only a score of 32 metres. _Ouch._ Akira sighed, disappointed, but not surprised. Brute strength was by far not his strong suit. Uraraka gave him a sympathetic pat on the back, while Midoriya looked like he was going to piss himself. He trembled as he went up to throw.

"Midoriya isn't doing very well…" Iida said, arms crossed. He didn't say it with any malice, just matter-of-factly. Akira was inclined to agree. Midoriya hadn't gotten any exceptional scores so far.

"Well, duh! He's a quirkless runt!" Bakugou spat and pointed at Midoriya.

Iida's face scrunched up in confusion. "Quirkless? So you have not heard of his feats during the practical exam?"

Bakugou snorted and looked away, either in disinterest or disbelief.

Midoriya was about to make his throw. He looked terrified, then determined. He winded up and then…

It was a regular throw.

 _Eh?_ Midoriya seemed to be thinking the same, as he looked at his hands in shock.

"I erased your quirk," Aizawa grunted, his scraggly hair unnaturally pulled back and eyes blazing ruby red. "That ridiculous entrance exam was completely irrational when considering someone like you got in." He glared at Midoriya. "You can't control your quirk at all, can you? Were you hoping someone would step in to help afterwards?"

"N-No it's not like that—" Midoriya sputtered right when Aizawa's scarf wrapped around his midsection. He yelped as he was pulled forward.

"Whatever you were planning, it would have inconvenienced those around you." Aizawa leaned in and lowered his voice, telling Midoriya something nobody else could hear. It seemed to be harsh, judging by Midoriya's flinch.

Aizawa sighed, closed his eyes, and let Midoriya go from his scarf. Midoriya walked back up to the plate, shoulders hunched and head facing the ground.

Iida's hand went to his chin in thought. "It seems he received some special instruction…"

Bakugou scoffed. "Yeah, the instruction to leave this school."

Akira bristled at the blatant disrespect. _What's his problem?_

Midoriya took a deep breath, and Akira could see his mouth moving. Was he muttering to himself? He wound up once more and it appeared as if he wasn't going to use his quirk, but the gust of wind and subsequent soaring ball proved him wrong.

Midoriya's face was scrunched up and he gritted his teeth. Akira winced when he saw his finger. It was dripping blood and looked as if it were crushed in a door frame. Multiple times. With tears in his eyes, Midoriya looked up to Aizawa and grinned. "I…can still move!"

Aizawa chuckled and grinned. "This kid!" Akira personally thought he looked terrifying with that smile on his face.

Bakugou growled in outrage. "What the hell, Deku?! Explain yourself, you shitnerd!" He charged at Midoriya, who froze in fear.

Bakugou's explosions fizzled out in an instant as Aizawa's scarf held him in place. Aizawa looked even more annoyed and just as intimidating. "Stop using your quirk already, I'm getting dry eye over here." He let go of Bakugou and sighed. "What a waste of time. Prepare the next event."

Midoriya's finger looked even worse up close. Akira hissed. "Damn it, Curly. I thought you were supposed to keep your limbs intact."

Midoriya let out a weak chuckle, tinged with pain. "S-Sorry, Suzuki-san."

Akira reached out towards Midoriya's finger. "Let me take care—"

Aizawa's voice cut through. "Suzuki. You're not allowed to heal Midoriya until I say so."

"What? How come?" Akira was outraged.

"D-Don't worry about it, S-Suzuki-san. I can manage!" Midoriya stuttered assuredly. Akira grumbled but acquiesced.

"Get a move on. The next event's ready," Aizawa drawled.

Akira did very well in the endurance running, all thanks to his recently developed trick. He performed awfully in upper-body strength though, but well at the seated-toe-touch.

Poor Midoriya was holding back hisses of pain every once in awhile as they were doing their tests Finally, after they were all done, Aizawa gathered them around to announce the results.

"By the way," he said off-handedly. "I was lying about expelling someone."

Shocked, everyone stared at him.

He let out that terrifying grin of his. "That was a rational deception meant to bring out the best in all of you."

" _What?!_ " Iida, Midoriya, and Uraraka wailed. Akira simply slumped over in relief.

A girl with her hair in a ponytail—Yaoyorozu, Akira thought—looked at them oddly. "Well, of course, it was a lie, didn't take much to figure out."

Aizawa turned to walk away. "Anyways, we're done here. The curriculum materials are in the classroom. Look them over." He pulled a slip out of his pocket. "Midoriya, have Recovery Girl fix you up." Midoriya shakily took the slip.

Akira raised his hand. "Aizawa-sensei, can I go with him? I'm sure Chiyo-sensei will wanna talk to me."

Aizawa shrugged. "Do what you want. Just get back to class when you're done."

Now that Aizawa was gone, everyone focused on the scoreboard. Akira searched for his name. It rested at 14th place. It wasn't _too_ bad, although he was sure Chiyo was going to give him some grief over it. At least he wasn't Midoriya at deadlast.

Midoriya looked distraught. Akira nudged him "Don't make such a sad face, Curly. C'mon, I'm sure Chiyo-sensei is waiting for us."

While everyone else went to class, they headed over to the Infirmary. "S-Say, Suzuki-san, why do you refer to Recovery Girl by her first name?" Midoriya asked.

Akira hesitated before answering. "I'm her apprentice. She scouted me out almost a year ago."

Midoriya whipped around. "You too?!—" He abruptly shut his mouth. "I-I mean you totally seem qualified to be her student…" He tilted his head. "What's she like?"

Akira gave him a puzzled look. "Thanks?" Followed by a more serious one. "Don't be fooled by her kind granny act, she's actually a demon."

"That doesn't sound like what I've heard about her…"

"It's all a front, I'm telling you," Akira said firmly.

Midoriya cracked a smile. "Whatever you say, Suzuki-san."

Akira changed the subject. "Say, what's the deal with your quirk? It supposed to do that in exchange for strength? Some kinda sacrificial thing?" Akira gestured to Midoriya's bruised and battered finger.

Midoriya shook his head wildly back and forth. "No, no! It isn't supposed to do that!"

Akira raised a brow. "Turn your limbs into putty?"

Midoriya nodded. "Well, yeah." He fidgeted with his good hand. "I'm sort of a late bloomer…I only… _discovered_ my quirk recently."

Akira guffawed. "How late are we talking here?"

"…Last year?"

Akira was skeptical. To his knowledge, the latest a child had ever gotten a quirk was at age eight, and that was due to severe malnutrition. It wasn't any of his business though, so he let it go.

They made it finally. The sign above the door was labelled 'Nurse's Office'. Akira knocked a couple of times before coming in. "We're here, Chiyo-sensei!"

"Inside voice, please, Akira-chan. This is a place for the sick and injured." Chiyo clucked at him.

Akira rolled his eyes at the cutesy honorific and took a glance around the office. "You're the only one here."

Chiyo sniffed. "It's the principle of the matter, dearie," she said to which Akira shrugged.

Akira gestured to Midoriya. He looked like a deer in headlights. "Curly's broken his finger. Fix it please."

Chiyo looked to Midoriya. "Take a seat then, dearie." Midoriya did so, sitting down on a stool near her desk. Chiyo then took her place in her chair and adjusted its height.

She landed a smooch right on Midoriya's forehead, to which he yelped in surprise. His eyes were half-lidded. "Woah, it's all better, but I'm so tired…"

Chiyo's eyes crinkled as she smiled. "My quirk boosts your own healing factor, but recovery requires stamina." She dispensed some candy into Midoriya's palm. "Keep on getting hurt like that, and you'll run out of stamina and die."

"I'll die?!" Midoriya screeched.

"Chiyo-sensei, stop scaring him." Akira glared. "Ignore her, Curly. You'll be fine." He gave Midoriya a warning look. "But seriously though, try not to get too injured."

Midoriya nodded vigorously, the fear of god and elderly women putting him in place.

Chiyo gave Akira a onceover. "And how about you, dearie? I know Aizawa-kun is especially hard on you kiddies."

Akira shrugged. "I did alright. I scored 14th place among my classmates."

Chiyo's look sharpened. " _Only_ 14th place? How come?"

A chill ran down Akira's spine. "I-I didn't do all that well on the strength based tests."

Chiyo hmphed. "No apprentice of mine will be at 14th place, of all things. I'll be asking Aizawa-kun for the test transcripts. Expect some strength exercises during our next session, dearie."

"Yes, ma'am." Akira squeaked.

* * *

Akira yawned as he shuffled past the front gates. The day had finally ended and he was looking forward to some rest back home. He spotted Midoriya in front of him looking much worse off, slumped and threatening to fall to the ground from exhaustion.

Iida came up to approach Midoriya and began to chat with him. Hesitance set in. Akira was unsure if he should go up and talk with them. Were they even friends? They _had_ talked a great deal today. His decision was already made for him when Iida spotted him from the corner of his eye and waved him over.

Akira hobbled over. Iida was already exuberantly speaking. "Suzuki-san! Midoriya-san and I were just talking about how Aizawa-sensei deceived us! I am unsure of whether to believe such subterfuge is befitting—"

Akira cut him off before he could go into lecture mode. "Yeah, this school's pretty crazy." Akira licked his lips. "You can drop the '-san', you know, since we're classmates and all."

Iida cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses, taken aback. "T-That would be acceptable, Suzuki-kun. You may also refer to me as 'Iida-kun', if you wish."

"Y-Yeah! You could also use it for me too! If you want to!" Midoriya fumbled. Akira found it sort of endearing.

"Hey, you three!" Uraraka waved and approached them, a skip in her step.

"Ah, Infinity Girl," Iida greeted politely. Akira waved a hand, smiling. Midoriya turned scarlet.

"I'm Uraraka Ochako!" Uraraka corrected. "Um, you're Iida Tenya and Midoriya…Deku!"

"Deku?!" Midoriya yelped. He shook his head and crossed his arms. "N-No! My name's Izuku. 'Deku' is just Kacchan being a bully." He nervously chuckled.

Akira snickered and raised a hand to hide his smile. "You call him 'Kacchan'. What a cutesy name for a supposed bully."

Iida hummed, striking a thinking pose. "A derogatory pet name, then?"

"Oh, gotcha! Sorry!" Uraraka pumped her hand into a fist and grinned. "I kinda like it though! It screams 'Do your best!'"

"Deku's fine!" Midoriya squeaked. Akira facepalmed and Iida's jaw dropped. They began to walk off away from school.

"Midoriya-kun! Show a bit of backbone! It is an insult, is it not?!" Iida said.

"I've gotta agree, Curly. Don't let Bakugou spoil your time here," Akira added.

"D-Don't worry! I-I'll try! Thanks guys!" Midoriya had an adorable grin on his face, just happy to be there.

Eventually, they all had to go their separate ways. At the end, Akira was vibrating, emitting a kind of happiness he hadn't felt in a long time… not since before the accident.

He shook his head. He didn't want to think about that. Not now. Not ever. He made his first few friends and was well on his way to becoming a hero.

Suzuki Akira was feeling on top of the world.

* * *

 **Hey all! I'm very pleased to have gotten such kind feedback so far! So thank you to each and every single reviewer! I read all of them and believe me that they do indeed make my day when I get them. The Battle Trial Arc is coming up next, so stay tuned.**

 **What did y'all think of this chapter? Characterization? Funny/Favourite moments? Review below!**


	4. Chapter 4

Typically, when one thinks of a school for superheroes in training, they imagine grandeur, heart-pounding rescue missions, fighting villains with your life on the line. But in reality…

"Who can find the mistake in the following English sentence?" Present Mic asked, pointing to the blackboard with one hand and carrying his lesson plan with the other.

 _The relative conjunction is in the wrong place…_ was what Midoriya and Akira were both thinking.

The rest of the class were bored out of their minds.

"Yes, Yaoyorozu?"

"The relative conjunction is in the wrong place, sensei," a voice rang out from behind Akira. In front of him, Midoriya was scribbling into his notebook as if his very life depended on it.

* * *

Lunch time!

If you'd asked him, Akira would happily claim U.A.'s cafeteria to be his favourite place in the world. All the delicious, calorie-heavy foods he could ever want for dirt cheap? He was already planning to move in.

Akira's tray was filled with carbs and fried food while Iida's was nutritionally balanced with a large cup of orange juice on the side. Uraraka and Midoriya, meanwhile, had both bought standard bento boxes.

Iida shook his head in disapproval at the sight of Akira's food. "Are you not about unhealthy foods affecting your health, Suzuki-kun?"

In between mouthfuls of tempura, Akira hastily swallowed before answering, "Not really. Loading up on carbs and lipids lets me use my quirk more, and I don't have to worry about disease, considering I could just heal the root cause."

Uraraka made an awed sound. "That must be so nice! Not worrying about what you eat."

Akira's lip quirked upwards. "It's a nice side benefit, yeah. I don't remember a time where I was ever overweight. In fact, after yesterday's tests I'm still a tad _under_ weight."

Midoriya was muttering at a thousand miles a minute. "Suzuki-kun burns fat to produce energy. I wonder if he's able to burn other sources like sugars and even muscle if there isn't any fat—"

Akira lightly nudged Midoriya's shoulder. "Earth to Midoriya," he teased.

Midoriya jolted, blushing. "S-Sorry…"

Akira grinned. "Don't be. You're actually right. If I force my quirk without any fat left, I start breaking down muscle instead."

"Has that ever happened to you before?" Iida asked.

"I haven't had the privilege yet," Akira said wryly

Uraraka nodded. "Hopefully not ever."

They continued their lunch, making idle chit-chat until the bell rang, signaling the start of their afternoon class. Hero Basic Training was all that everyone had been talking about, led for the first time by Japan's Symbol of Peace: All Might.

Akira liked All Might well enough. He hadn't heard a single bad thing about him. Hell, the man had even magnanimously declined the People's Choice Award, and Akira was excited to meet the real thing.

They went back to class, Akira taking his seat behind Midoriya. A jovial, booming voice emerged from the door. "I have…"

 _It's him!_ Akira looked on excitedly.

"Come through the door like a normal person!" All Might said. He trotted up to the front of the class. Everyone was in awe, including Akira, at the strength and confidence All Might exuded in spades. "Hero Basic Training! The class that'll put you through all sorts of special training to mold you into heroes!" All Might said, his ever-present grin widening even further. "No time to dally! Today's activity is battle training!"

Gasps, squeals, and other exclamations burst off at All Might's announcement, but he wasn't done yet. "And for that, you'll need these!" He pointed a remote to the wall and clicked it, and four rows slid open to reveal numbered cases from one to twenty.

A majority of the class had stood up in excitement. Even Akira's chest was pounding in anticipation.

All Might chuckled. "These are indeed your costumes, ladies and gentlemen! After you change, come out to Ground Beta!"

After a resounding and unanimous agreement, All Might took his leave while the class climbed over each other to grab their costumes. Akira swiped case number 19 and hurried towards the changing room.

If Akira was excited before, he was straight up giddy now. He couldn't stop giggling as he zipped up his costume. It turned out even better than he had imagined three weeks ago when Chiyo had tossed a multitude of request forms at him.

The carbon-fibre cloth hugged his body in all the right places, keeping a tight but not uncomfortable hold on him. The black combat boots shifted into a red and white bodysuit with two pouches, one on each thigh.

Akira recognized his obvious weakness to opponents with a longer range, so he had also requested a pair of tasers that attached to his wrists. They were both capable of launching a small disk to deliver a strong electric charge. He clasped them onto his wrists with a _clack_.

Akira walked alongside his classmates toward Ground Beta and thought they all looked so _cool_. They entered into a familiar looking city. "Welcome, my wards! It's time for battle training!" All Might boomed.

There were some harried footsteps behind them, revealed to be someone in a green jumpsuit with a…rabbit helmet?

Uraraka noticed as well and even recognized him. Uraraka noticed him as well, she even recognized him. "Deku! Cool costume! Super practical looking!" she said. _Practical is one way to describe it, plain would be another_ , Akira mused.

Midoriya did a double take. "Uraraka-san! Wow!" Akira could see what he meant. Uraraka's costume was very…proportioned, particularly in the chest and hip area. Needless to say, there wasn't a lot left to the imagination.

Uraraka rubbed her neck in embarrassment. "Yeah, I probably should've been more specific in my request form. This suit's so puffy and curvy."

"Well, I think it looks great. I like the space theme." Akira nodded.

Uraraka grinned. "Aw, thanks! Yours looks super cool too!"

Now that they were both in view, Akira compared Midoriya's outfit to a certain symbol of peace. The 'ears' looked like hair and that smile…

Akira held down his laughter but couldn't help but release a few snickers. Of course, Midoriya based his outfit on All Might. _Adorkable_.

"Sensei! This appears to be the same field used in the entrance exam! Will we once again be performing cityscape maneuvers?!" _Yep, that's Iida alright_.

"Nope! You'll be moving on to indoor anti-personnel battle training! Most villain battles occur outdoors, but statistically, the most heinous villains are more likely to be fought indoors." All Might rested both hands on his hips. "As such, you'll be separated into villain and hero teams and face off in two-on-two battles!"

"So no basic training, ribbit?" Asui asked .

All Might pumped a fist in the air. "Practical experience teaches you the basics!" he said. _I'm pretty sure it's backwards._ Akira's eyes narrowed.

All Might was bombarded with questions from the class.

"What determines victory?"

"Can I just blast everyone away?"

"Are you threatening to expel someone like Aizawa-sensei?"

"How do we proceed to separate ourselves into teams?"

"How fabulous is my cape?~"

All Might twitched and held up his palm. "One at a time!" He cleared his throat and pulled out a small piece of paper. _Is that a script?_ All Might read off it, explaining how the villains were to protect a 'nuclear bomb' (made of paper mache) until time was up and the heroes to capture either it or the villains.

"Your battle partners will be determined by drawing lots!" All Might gestured to a box literally labelled 'Lots'.

Iida recoiled. "Is that really the best way?!"

Midoriya meekly explained, "It sorta makes sense though, since pros often have to team up on the spot during emergencies."

"I see! I apologize for getting ahead of myself! My mistake!" Iida fell into a bow.

All Might cleared his throat. "It's fine! Let's just do it!"

Akira felt bad for Iida, who got paired with Bakugou. They both looked displeased. At the same time, a flustered Midoriya got paired off with an eager Uraraka. Akira looked beside him. His partner turned out to be Yaoyorozu, his seatmate.

"Hey there, I'm Suzuki Akira, if you didn't already know."

Yaoyorozu smiled politely. "Yaoyorozu Momo, a pleasure to meet you, Suzuki-san."

They idly chatted, mostly small talk until All Might pulled lots for which team was going first. He stuck his hands into two boxes and pulled out balls labelled 'A' and 'D'.

"Team A are the heroes and Team D the villains!" All Might grinned. _Uh oh. Not good._ Akira cringed.

While the rest of the class were led off to the observation room, the teams were left to set up and get ready. Akira was nervous for Midoriya's sake. He and Bakugou obviously had some sort of nasty history, and Midoriya couldn't use his quirk without snapping his bones like they were twigs.

"Is everything alright, Suzuki-san?" Yaoyorozu asked.

Akira carded his hand through his brown hair. "Just nervous. I've got a feeling this'll get messy." He grimaced.

And he was right.

It started out fine enough, as Midoriya and Uraraka began navigating through the building. Iida should've been the one to engage the heroes given his high mobility, but Bakugou charged ahead, sparks lining his palms.

 _A sneak attack_. Bakugou barreled into the heroes, launching an explosion that just barely missed them. It did manage to graze Midoriya though, leaving his helmet in tatters.

Bakugou launched a wide right hook, but in a surprise move, Midoriya grabbed and flipped him quickly and cleanly. Uraraka ran off to find the objective while Midoriya engaged Bakugou.

Akira facepalmed as he watched Iida act 'villainous' with melodramatic flair. _That is so not how villains talk…_

Akira was impressed at how Iida cleared the room of any debris for Uraraka to use. _Smart thinking there, Glasses._

Then, things took a turn for the worse with Midoriya and Bakugou's fight.

Bakugou's gauntlet glowed an eerie red. He grinned maliciously, explaining how his quirk lets him sweat nitroglycerin and his gauntlets were designed to store that sweat.

Akira got a _very_ bad feeling about this.

All Might stepped in. "Young Bakugou! You are _not_ allowed to use that! You'd kill him!"

Bakugou's grin got even wider. "Won't kill him if it's not a direct hit." He pulled the trigger.

The biggest explosion Akira had ever seen rocked the building. Flames and ash painted the hallway and slammed into Midoriya. Sections of the wall were shattered, exposing them from the outside.

Midoriya looked singed, but not too injured. Regardless, Akira couldn't stand there and watch his friend be beaten within an inch of his life.

"Sensei, call this off!" Akira pleaded.

"It is a battle exercise, Suzuki-kun. Bruises and scrapes are to be expected." All Might didn't look like even he believed what he was saying.

Akira shook his head. "This stopped being a training exercise when Bakugou pulled that trigger. This is a beatdown, plain and simple!"

All Might said nothing but seemed to grip the microphone in his hand even tighter. Akira huffed at being ignored and went back to take his place by Yaoyorozu.

Eventually, the fight ended with Midoriya and Bakugou making one final charge at one another. Midoriya, the smart but _reckless_ , guy that launched his attack at the ceiling, distracting Iida and allowing Uraraka to capture the bomb. The whine of the buzzer announced the end of the battle.

From the fixed position of the camera, Midoriya's wounds were bad. His right arm was bruised and battered, identical to its state in the practicals. His left arm was burnt. Badly. Akira was willing to bet that it was a 2nd degree burn, but he couldn't tell for sure.

Midoriya was dragged off to Chiyo, who Akira had given a heads-up about his state. Uraraka, Bakugou, and Iida were back in the observation room in varying states. Uraraka looked queasy and ill from having vomited, Bakugou seemed to be in some sort of shock, and Iida looked fine other than a few scuff marks on him.

"I would say that the M.V.P. of this match was Iida!" All Might pointed out. Iida let out a surprised 'eep'. "Could anybody tell me why?" All Might asked rhetorically.

Yaoyorozu gracefully raised a hand. "I know, sensei. Iida-san was most able to adapt to the scenario. Bakugou-san's every action was motivated by an obvious personal grudge, in addition to using destructive attacks indoors. Midoriya-san's performance suffered from a similar effect. Uraraka-san, on the other hand, lost focus halfway throughout the match and used a haphazard final attack. Such a move would be disastrous in the presence of a real bomb. Out of them all, Iida-san formed an actual counter-strategy. The hero team only won because this was a training exercise with exploitable constraints."

Iida was clearly touched, resting his hand at his chest and grinning with delight. "Yaoyorozu-san…"

Akira was in awe of her analysis. Yaoyorozu had dissected each and every element and presented it in a concise manner. _So cool…_

All Might nervously cleared his throat. "I-I'd add that Iida-kun was a bit stiff, but you're correct!" He added a thumbs up at the end.

Up next was Yaoyorozu and Akira, who were taking the role of villains, versus Kaminari and Jirou, the heroes. As villains, Yaoyorozu and Akira were given a ten minute head start. As they walked to the bomb, Akira struck up some conversation.

"So Yaoyorozu-san, should we elaborate on our quirks?"

Yaoyorozu smiled. "Yes! My quirk is Creation. It allows me to create any non-living material that I have a molecular understanding of by manipulating my lipids."

Akira couldn't help but grin. "No way! Mine's pretty similar! Tissue Modelling burns my lipids for energy in order to manipulate bodily functions!"

They continued babbling about their quirks until they reached the 'bomb'.

Yaoyorozu blinked and let out a gasp. "We forgot to talk about strategy!"

Akira rubbed his neck in embarrassment. "I guess we did. I'm pretty sure we still have some time though. Any ideas?" he asked. _Guess even geniuses lose track of time chatting._

Yaoyorozu nodded. "Yes, actually. Technically, we don't have to engage the heroes at all. As such," Her abdomen began to glow and sparkle. Metal beams started to emerge one by one. "We'll barricade ourselves in. Help me set these up at the door if you would."

Akira was giddy. "Yes, ma'am!" He picked up a beam and helped Yaoyorozu barricade the doorway. Beam by beam, the metal barrier became larger until it was about a meter thick.

Akira noticed Yaoyorozu's pinched expression and gaunt face. _I've been there, girl._

He stopped his work and approached her, all while digging around in one of his pockets. He pulled out a wrapper and offered it to her. "Calorie bar?"

Yaoyorozu looked delighted. "Ah, thank you, Suzuki-san!" She ripped apart the packaging and chowed down on the bar. "My family usually gets the Datrex brand, but these are also excellent!"

Akira's frugal heart twitched. _Those are the most expensive brand!_

A loud, drum-like sound ripped them away from their conversation. _Kinda sounds like a heartbeat._ Akira narrowed his eyes. The metal barricades were just barely hanging on. Not for much longer though.

Yaoyorozu created a staff, presumably made of steel, and raised it in a defensive position. "Here they come!"

And with that, the doors blew open revealing Kaminari, hands in his pockets and Jirou, with her earjacks connected to the speakers on her boots.

Kaminari chuckled. "This'll be a piece of cake!"

"Keep your ego in check, " Jirou drawled to which Kaminari responded with an annoyed look.

It was only months of training and pure instinct that allowed Akira to dodge the first lightning bolt sent from Kaminari, who clicked his tongue and fired again. Akira leapt to behind a pillar, hearing Kaminari run closer and closer to him.

 _Let's test these puppies out_. Right before Kaminari came into reach, Akira turned on his wrist tasers and intercepted him. He specified they would be capable of 60 milliamps, enough to incapacitate but not kill. He drove it into Kaminari's midsection and—

"That felt kinda nice actually. Wanna try that again?" Kaminari grinned, entirely unaffected by the taser. Lightning danced across his fingers. _Oh fuck._

There was a flash, and then Akira went flying, muscles locked and spazzing with pain. He groaned. _I deserved that one. If he can dish it out, he can definitely take it._ Akira forced his muscle fibers to relax rather than contract, effectively rebooting his motor control.

"Yaoyorozu-san! Switch!" Akira shouted.

Kaminari blinked. "Huh?" A moment later, Yayozoru swung her staff into his head, driving him to his knees.

While Kaminari was recovering, Akira got up and ran past Yaoyorozu, but before he left she grabbed his arm. "Wait, take these." She opened her palm and earplugs emerged. Akira thanked her, putting them on.

Jirou was trying to get back on her feet without tripping on Yaoyorozu's marbles. She locked eyes with Akira and connected with her speakers, unleashing another intense sound wave.

It pushed Akira back a bit, but he was largely unaffected by the wave. He let out a cheshire grin and pointed to his ears. Jirou growled and went on the offensive. She threw wild, inaccurate punches and kicks along with her earjacks in a stabbing motion. With each swing she took, Akira ducked and avoided gracefully. Jirou overextended her punch and Akira seized the oppourtunity. He slipped out of the way, grabbed her wrist and brought his taser onto her shoulder.

Jirou tensed and collapsed to the floor. Akira took the opportunity to pull out the capture tape and wrap it around her wrists, thus eliminating her from the match.

Akira took a moment to catch his breath. _One down, one to go_. He turned to Yaoyorozu and Kaminari, who were in a standoff. Yaoyorozu wielded a shield wrapped in some sort of material, likely insulating. Kaminari circled around her, trying to find an opening.

Akira waited until Kaminari's back was turned, and crept up behind him. Yaoyorozu, smart girl that she was, proceeded to distract Kaminari.

"You should give up now, Kaminari-san. You might as well save us the little time we have left," Yaoyorozu stated snobbishly.

Kaminari fell for the bait. "What? No way! Jirou and I've got this in the bag! Right, Jirou?—" _Hook. Line. And sinker._

Akira got within range and leapt at the chance. He kicked the back of Kaminari's knees and brought him to the floor. Quickly, Akira grabbed his arm and pulled it back. "If I feel so much as a spark of static electricity, I'll dislocate your shoulder," Akira stated nonchalantly.

Kaminari squeaked affirmatively. Akira nodded to Yaoyorozu, and she brought over the capture tape to wrap around Kaminari. Right as she finished, All Might announced them as the winners of the match. They were all brought back to the observation room and Yaoyorozu was crowned as M.V.P., a choice Akira supported wholeheartedly. While he'd performed both takedowns, Yaoyorozu was the one who had facilitated the entire thing, from the barricades to the earplugs.

Akira asked to be excused to visit Midoriya in the infirmary, to which All Might acquiesced.

* * *

Chiyo was fit to be tied.

A scowl was etched onto her face. "Irresponsible, foolish, reckless, _moronic_. I cannot believe he allowed this to happen. When I get my hands on him…" she seethed, referring to a certain number one hero.

Akira was inclined to agree, were it not for the fact that he was napping by Midoriya's bedside, feet up and arms crossed. Voices roused him from his slumber. He was still groggy though, and nothing remained in focus. "…keep it down? At least when discussing…"

"Oh, right, sure thing, Mr. _Natural Born Hero_ , Mr. _Symbol of Peace._ No one…around, Akira-chan…napping."

"Injury…quirk…secret…Midoriya-kun!"

At this point, Akira's grogginess began to fade away. He unwittingly yawned, alerting anyone else in the room of his presence. He pulled open the divider to see a tense-looking All Might and Chiyo. _Is that… steam?_

"S-Suzuki-kun! Hello! How are…things?" All Might finished lamely, sweat beading down his brow.

Akira blinked and shrugged. "Uh, I'm good?"

All Might gave Akira a thumbs up. "Excellent! I must get going now. Chiyo, keep me updated on Midoriya's condition!" He zoomed off, slamming the door behind him in an instant.

Akira turned to Chiyo and asked, "He okay?" He was pointing out the very odd reaction from All Might.

Chiyo only gave an exhausted sigh. "He's new to teaching. Give him some slack, dearie. How's Midoriya-kun?"

Akira shrugged again. "As well as you would expect. His burns have mostly faded thanks to your healing. He's got hairline fractures along his metacarpals, radius and ulna, but I can take care of that once I get some grub." Akira tapped his flat stomach for dramatic effect.

Chiyo nodded. "I'll trust you to handle that then." She glanced to the wall clock hanging above the doorway and then back to Akira. "You, mister, need to head back to class. Skipping history with Cementoss won't put you in his good graces."

Akira groaned and acquiesced, making his way out the door. "Let me know when Curly wakes up."

"Will do, dearie. Pay attention in class."

"I make no promises."

* * *

Akira was bombarded the very second he came back to class.

"Is Deku okay?!"

"Is he dying?!"

"Are you seriously Recovery Girl's student?!"

The sound of a whip cut through the air. Midnight was not amused at the interruption of her class. "Everyone back in your seat, or I'll have to punish you." She licked her lips. Akira looked in disgust. _Gross. Anything but that, please._

The day was finally over. The last period bell chimed, but most had remained in class to wait for Midoriya. Todoroki and Bakugou had silently left right as the bell rang. A few minutes later, an exhausted Midoriya was mobbed by Satou, Ashido, and Kirishima.

Tokoyami shook his head. "So noisy," he said, sitting atop his desk.

"We'll get used to it eventually, I hope," Akira said, also using his desk as a seat. He caught Kaminari attempting to flirt with an oblivious Uraraka.

"You two! Desks are not made to be sat on! Please get off immediately!" Iida chopped a hand towards Tokoyami and Akira.

Akira waved him off. "Don't get so bent outta shape, Iida-kun, school's over anyways."

Iida adjusted his glasses. "Even still, we must respect—" Akira tuned him out.

Midoriya looked around the class, but apparently didn't find what he was looking for and left.

Iida was in the middle of his lecture when Akira cut him off. "Nice job in the battle exercise, by the way. Small critique though, villains _don't_ act like that. Like ever."

Iida practically recoiled. "I-I was simply trying to embody evil, Suzuki-kun. My performance was on par, in my opinion."

Akira's eye twitched. "It was just a _tad_ melodramatic."

"Hmm, perhaps you may be right. I shall adjust for the next time." Iida gesticulated. "Speaking of the battle exercise, you also performed excellently."

Akira blushed and shrugged. "It was all Yaoyorozu-san, really. Without her, we wouldn't have been able to hold the heroes off for so long."

"Even so, it was ultimately you who took down the hero team. Do not sell yourself so short!" Iida said firmly.

"Agree to disagree, then."

Iida seemed to notice something. "Suzuki-kun! This is unacceptable!" he exclaimed, and Akira was briefly confused. _Self-deprecation is unacceptable?_ "Your tie isn't tied correctly!"

Akira looked downwards. Admittedly, the tie seemed unkempt compared to the rest of the uniform. He cleared his throat. "I don't really know how to tie one…" he murmured.

A heartbeat later and Iida was _very_ suddenly in Akira's personal bubble and was grabbing at his neck. "Really now, you must learn immediately. We cannot sully U.A.'s reputation with rumpled clothing!"

With a sharp pull, the lumpy mess that Akira had made came apart. Iida briskly but cleanly pulled and tucked, creating a crisp and flat tie that rested on Akira's chest. His mouth went stone dry, and his heart beated a samba against his chest.

"I will type up an easy to understand guide for you this evening" Iida pulled out his smartphone. "May I have your contact information, Suzuki-kun?"

Bewildered, Akira did as he was asked, giving Iida his phone number and e-mail address.

Iida nodded, satisfied. "Very well, I will be taking my leave. Enjoy the rest of your day, Suzuki-kun." Iida picked up his schoolbag and left the classroom, leaving a flushed Akira behind.

 _What…just happened?_ Akira blinked. Still on autopilot, he waved goodbye to Yaoyorozu and Uraraka and headed back home.

Later in the evening while doing his homework, his flip phone chimed. Akira opened it to find an email waiting for him from Iida.

 **iidatenya**

 _ **Attachment: tie_guide**_

 **Suzuki-kun! Here is a detailed guide to tying a tie. Attached you will find the document containing diagrams and instructions. I hope to see you put this to good use.**

Akira's lips quirked of their own volition. He could practically hear Iida's formal tone over the email and typed out his response.

 **suzukiakira**

 **Hey! Thanks for the help. I'll definitely be referring to this from now on. :)**

Akira sputtered in laughter as he scrolled through the guide, various pictures of Iida going through a step-by-step guide on how to tie a tie, all with a stone-serious face. Akira mimicked each step carefully and needed to start over multiple times. But at the end, he was left with a clean and neat looking tie.

 _All thanks to a good teacher._ Akira went to bed with a warm, bubbly feeling blooming along his chest.

* * *

 **Phew! Managed to churn this one out right before my exams! As such, the next chapter may be a tad late. Expect one in early July at the very earliest, darlings.**

 **Thank you all for the reviews, follows, and favourites! Seeing them makes my day and I encourage everyone to do it for authors! Even small things make us smile! Large ones make us smile even wider!**

 **Till next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, kid! What's All Might like as a teacher?" a reporter demanded, violating Akira's personal space as the blinking red light of the nearby camera let him know they were recording.

Akira blinked. "Sorta incompetent. He basically had no lesson plan, read off a damn _script_ , and allowed a student to get injured on his first day of teaching—"

The film crew were already walking away, grumbling about lying brats and fake news.

Akira sputtered. "W-Wait! I'm telling the truth!"

* * *

Good work with yesterday's battle training," Aizawa drawled, resting a stack of papers on his desk. "I've looked over your grades and evaluations." He read aloud everyone's scores and performances for all to hear.

"Suzuki," Aizawa started, "your teammate did the majority of work regarding your defense. Your ambush attempt failed spectacularly since you didn't take into account Kaminari's Quirk being able to neutralize your taser. You did well in taking out your opponents. Work on your forethought." Akira grimaced at Aizawa's dissection of his performance but nodded nonetheless. He still had plenty of work to do.

Aizawa moved on. "Bakugou, grow up already. Stop wasting your talent." There was a bite to Aizawa's monotone words. "If that were a real battle and civilians were nearby, you would have crushed them under all the debris you made with that stunt." Akira idly thought of the day he first met Chiyo and young Katsuro.

Bakugou glared at his desk. "...Got it," he ground out and Aizawa simply nodded. He then set his sights on Midoriya, who jolted, his reaction not unlike that of a startled cat.

"It seems like Midoriya ended yet _another_ day with a broken arm." Aizawa huffed. "Learn to control your Quirk, because just trying isn't going to cut it." Akira was silently agreeing with what Aizawa was saying. "I hate repeating myself, but you do have potential, assuming you can overcome this," he said, to which Midoriya gave a determined nod.

Aizawa sighed "Now, onto homeroom business. Sorry for the sudden announcement but today you'll be…" _God, I hope it's not a pop quiz. I was up late doing Chiyo-sensei's genetics assignment…_ Akira anxiously thought.

"—picking a class president." Just as the last syllable left Aizawa's mouth, hands shot up like rockets. In middle school, Akira's old homeroom teacher practically had to force the role on any student even slightly willing to take it on.

Akira blinked, bewildered as everyone around him wanted to be class president, barring himself. From the boisterous Kirishima and Ashido, who leapt from their seats, to the demurely-seated Aoyama, everyone wanted to be president. Even Koda, of all people, wanted the role. _Has Koda even spoken a word this semester?_ Akira questioned.

Midoriya tapped the front of his desk, which drew Akira's attention. "Suzuki-kun, don't you want to be class president?" he asked.

Akira snorted and shook his head. "I've already got enough on my plate as is. Besides, there are much more qualified people for the role."

"Quiet down everyone!" Iida belted through the ruckus. "Leading the many is a task of heavy responsibility, but ambition does not equate to ability!" Iida slammed his fist into an open palm. "This sacred office demands the trust of its constituents! If this is to be a democracy, then I put forward the motion that our true leader must be chosen by election!"

 _What a long-winded and tedious way to say 'leave it to a vote.'_ Akira's eye twitched, as it often did at Iida's antics. As Iida bickered with Asui and Kirishima about the election, Akira turned back to Midoriya.

"This is all a waste of time if you ask me. I'm probably just going to spoil my ballot," Akira mused. "I pity the fool that has to manage this rowdy bunch."

* * *

"It's settled, your president is Midoriya and your vice president is Yaoyorozu," said Aizawa, shimmying out of his sleeping bag. Akira winced in sympathy as Midoriya was hunched over in shock while Yaoyorozu was looking on in distaste.

They managed to get through their morning classes until the lunch bell rang, Akira racing over to the cafeteria and picking up quite a few meals.

"This rice is tasty!" hummed Uraraka. Akira grunted in agreement, mouth far too full to actually speak. Midoriya sighed, aimlessly stirring the beef ramen on his tray.

"I'm a little worried about whether or not I can be class president…" Midoriya bit his lip.

Iida and Uraraka reassured him. "Worry not, Midoriya. Your grit and decisiveness in a pinch makes you perfectly suited to lead us all. That's why I voted for you."

"But didn't you want to be class president too, Iida?" Uraraka pointed her chopsticks at him. "You've got the glasses and everything." Akira snorted at her bluntness.

Iida sighed. "Again, ambition and suitability are different matters." He lifted his cup to sip his orange juice. "I humbly made the choice I felt was correct."

Uraraka turned to Akira. "By the way, Suzuki-kun, who'd you vote for? Yaoyorozu?"

Akira hummed. "I just spoiled my ballot. The whole election thing kinda felt like a waste of time," he said, plopping a piece of sushi in his mouth.

Iida choked on his juice and coughed violently. Uraraka, who was to his right, hovered in concern. After his fit ended, Iida appeared to be appalled and outraged.

"Suzuki-kun! How could you do this!? Spoiling your ballot is in violation of the sanctity of our democracy and a slight upon the reputation of our prestigious school!" he said, gesticulating sharply at each and every word. Outwardly, Akira just shrugged. _I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to vote anyway, considering my criminal record._

Thankfully, Uraraka came to the rescue before Iida could really get into his lecture. "The way you talk Iida…could you be a rich kid?!"

The question seemed to take Iida by surprise, as he cleared his throat and became _very_ interested in his curry. "I don't like people to know, so I try to hide it, but yes. Mine is a renowned hero family, and I am the second son. Are you aware of the turbo hero, Ingenium?"

Midoriya seemed to come alive at the topic of pro heroes. "Of course! He employs 65 sidekicks at his office in Tokyo, so you must be…!"

Iida grinned and pushed his glasses up. "Yes, he is my brother," he said, the image of pride. "He leads the people with his unwavering adherence to rules and regulations! A truly beloved hero! It's my admiration for him that's inspired me to become a hero!"

"Never seen you smile before, Iida," Akira said, wearing one of his own. "It suits you." Uraraka and Midoriya nodded in agreement.

Iida recoiled. "Eh?! I smile on occasion—"

Akira grinned as they bantered with one another, though the topic of conversation made his mind wander to family. He could never really be proud of anything his parents did. _Look where it got them,_ Akira thought bitterly. _Dad's behind bars, while Mom's—_

A shrill whine blared across the cafeteria, bringing any conversations to a halt. [ _Security Level 3 has been broken. All students please evacuate in an orderly fashion_ ] the intercom droned. Panic quickly seeped in, with students abandoning their lunch and sprinting towards the doors.

"Stop shoving!"

"Wait, I'm gonna fall!"

"I said quit pushing!"

"Ouch! Ow!"

It was utter chaos. Akira was squished in between a multitude of panicked students and he had to admit, the hysteria was getting to him too.

His heart beat uncontrollably. Sweat lined his palms, his breaths were short and rapid. A larger hand gripped his, hurriedly pulling him along. There was a crackle of gunfire behind them. A scream.

 _Run, run, run, don't let them catch you, Akira. Leave me—_

"Everything is fine!" a shout broke Akira's dangerous train of was sprawled right above the emergency exit, holding on to a pipe. "It's just the press! There's nothing to panic about. We're fine! Please act in a way befitting of this great institution!"

Akira took in a large breath and exhaled shakily. _That's right. This is U.A. It's just rowdy reporters. No big deal._

The evacuation went much smoother after Iida's intervention. The school had collectively gathered within the courtyard, one of the only places large enough to house the school population. It had taken about half an hour for police to arrive and drive away the press. They were finally let back into their classes after that.

"W-We'd—I'd like to make an announcement," Midoriya said, his gaze nervously fluttering in between his classmates. Yaoyorozu, who stood beside him, stared at him patiently. "I-I believe that Iida is better suited to be class president!"

Iida looked at Midoriya in surprise as he continued, "You all saw how well he led everyone in that crisis. I think he's the perfect choice for the job!" he said.

Akira threw a lazy arm up in the air, agreeing. "Sounds good to me, as long as I'm not assigned a council position."

Iida stood up dutifully and raised a stiff arm. "Very well! I shall take up the position!" He ended it off with a bow, and the class—mainly Kaminari and Kirishima—cheered him on.

Speaking of Kirishima, he approached Akira after class, much to his surprise. "Hey, Suzuki-san! You got a minute?"

Akira had just slung his backpack over his shoulder. "Kirishima-san? Something wrong?"

Kirishima shook his head. "No! Not at all! I actually wanted to ask if you were free tomorrow. Kaminari and I are headin' to the arcade. You wanna come with?" He grinned hopefully.

 _So wholesome._ The thought unwittingly zipped through Akira's head. The last time he had ever been asked to hang out with someone his age was, well…never. "Oh! Uhm, thanks for thinking to invite me. But, this weekend's really busy for me," he rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry?"

Kirishima drooped slightly, to which Akira winced. "Yeah, no problem, bro. Just thought I'd put the invite out there."

"It's just that Chiyo-sensei's got me super busy with the apprenticeship. We were supposed to have a lesson today instead of tomorrow, but she's in some 'urgent meeting.'" Akira licked his lips. "We have that field trip on Monday, right? How about we hang out after?" he offered.

Kirishima's grin returned in full force. "Sweet! That sounds awesome, bro! I'll tell Kaminari! See ya Monday?"

Akira chuckled. "See ya Monday," he confirmed.

* * *

It was far too early in the morning for Akira's tastes, but with Chiyo, it was often 'put up or shut up' so he didn't voice his complaints aloud. In fact, during their training session, there wasn't much talking at all. Chiyo was unusually silent today, only offering a quiet greeting and muted instructions every so often.

Akira bit his lip. He was concerned.

"C'mon, Chiyo-sensei! Don't you have anything more interesting than exercises? Maybe you should call Gunhead-san again." he waggled his brows mischievously. He wasn't actually complaining out of any real annoyance, but rather to get her back to her usual self.

Chiyo huffed from behind his back. "I thought I told you combat training was off the table until you memorized the organic chemistry sheet, brat," she said, but it was obvious to anyone that her heart wasn't into the banter.

Akira set down his equipment and turned to look at her. "Chiyo-sensei…is everything alright?"

Chiyo opened her mouth to respond but closed it, and gazed at the ground for a moment, as if searching for the right words to say.

She smiled at him, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Not a problem, dearie. Just pro-hero business that's got me thinking. Don't you worry your adorable little head about it. Now back to work, those stretches aren't going to finish themselves."

Akira rolled his eyes and huffed at the deflection, but acquiesced. He continued his exercises with a greater vigour than before. Something had Chiyo rattled badly. Something big. As sweat beaded down his brow, a single mantra looped through his head.

 _I'll be ready for it._

* * *

 **Hey all! Contrary to popular belief, I'm alive! I've just been working in addition to enjoying my summer vacation. I start university in a couple weeks, so that's exciting. Also, thank you SO MUCH for all the lovely reviews you guys have been leaving. I read each and every one. Question though, do you guys want me to respond to reviews in PM's? Or is that a little creepy?**


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